According to posts on his official website and Facebook page, singer, songwriter, and musician Leon Russell died Sunday morning in his sleep at his Nashville home. The Southern rock icon was 74.
Russell, a member of the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame, performed and recorded with a wide-ranging roster of performers including Elton John, Willie Nelson and the New Grass Revival.
Claude Russell Bridges was born in Lawton, Okla., on April 2, 1942. He began learning piano at the age of four; by his early teens, he was playing in Tulsa nightclubs. Following his high school graduation, Russell toured with Jerry Lee Lewis for a few months, then moved to Los Angeles and found work as a session musician. As part of the Wrecking Crew, a collective of elite studio musicians, Russell played piano on a number of hit songs.
He was a captivating live performer. In 1971, he wowed crowds at the star-studded Concert for Bangladesh with a scorching medley of Jumpin' Jack Flash and Youngblood.
Russell's A Song for You, which appeared on his eponymous, 1970 debut album, has been recorded by more than three dozen artists (Ray Charles won a Grammy for his version) over the years.
He released his last solo studio album, Life Journey, in 2014.
In July, Russell suffered a heart attack and underwent bypass surgery, but had resumed playing live shows. He was scheduled to perform Tuesday in Pensacola.
This story is in progress and will be updated.
